Paparazzi (song)
|DS = |album = The Fame |previous = "LoveGame" |next = "Poker Face" }} "Paparazzi" is a song written by Lady Gaga and Rob Fusari (Team Love Child), released as the final single from her debut album, The Fame. It was the last collaboration they did together, in 2007. According to Gaga, it's was her "first real pop song" that she wrote with a "killer hook". The song was performed during the MTV Video Music Awards in 2009. It peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Writing and inspiration When Ron Slomowicz from About.com referred to different interpretations of the single, Gaga responded: Well I'm so glad there are a few different interpretations, that was the idea. The song is about a few different things – it's about my struggles, do I want fame or do I want love? It's also about wooing the paparazzi to fall in love with me. It's about the media whoring, if you will, watching ersatzes make fools of themselves to their station. It's a love song for the cameras, but it's also a love song about fame or love – can you have both, or can you only have one? To the Australian Daily Telegraph, Gaga explained that the song was also about struggling to balance success and love. Bill Lamb from About.com concurred that "the song is a tribute of sorts to the symbiotic but ultimately fake and 'plastic' relationship between stars and their trailing paparazzi ... who, for better or worse, are there to document and, in a sense, create the stardom." Official versions *2007 Demo version — 3:29 *Album version — 3:29 *Clean version (Radio Edit) — 3:29 *Music video version with piano introduction — 7:11 Composition "Paparazzi" has a similar up-tempo composition to the previous singles "Just Dance" and "Poker Face" and carries a sultry beat. The song has a moderate electro-synth groove. The verses are in the key of C minor while the chorus is in the Key of A flat major, and the song is a tempo of 115 beats per minute. It is set in common time, and Gaga's vocal range spans from a low-note of G3 to the high-note of E♭5. According to Bill Lamb of About.com, Gaga's voice is heard above these beats, seductively as if enticing the listener to the complex world of stardom. The song's chords have a warmth in them. "Paparazzi" is based on slightly langorous synth textures and incorporates percussion to convey the emotions. Emotions lying in the composition range from sexual desire, dread, and resigned acknowledgment to an insistence to have fun. The lyrics of "Paparazzi" deal with stalking and the trappings of fame. Commercial release "Paparazzi" was the third single released from The Fame in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Italy, the fourth single in Canada and the United States, and lastly, the fifth single in Australia and New Zealand. It was released on July 6, 2009 in the United Kingdom, and July 10th in Australia. Initially, "LoveGame" had been planned to be released as the third single in the United Kingdom, but it was decided that "Paparazzi" would be released instead because of the potentially controversial lyrics and the music video for "LoveGame". Physical release Australia (2712117) France (271 832-6) Germany (0602527192949) :Note: Track two is listed as "Chu Fu Ghetto House Radio" instead of "Chew Fu Ghetto House Radio". United Kingdom (2712117) Germany — The Remixes (602527179865) United States — The Remixes (B0013571-22) United Kingdom (2712119) ;Side A (45RPM) ;Side B (33RPM) United States — The Remixes (B0013572-11) ;Side A (45RPM) ;Side B (33RPM) Italy — The Remixes (8032536108729) ;Side A (45RPM) ;Side B (33RPM) Digital release The Remixes, Part Deux Remixes Performances Tabs Television= Table |-|Web= Table |-|Radio= Table |-|Concert= Table |-|Tour= Table Lyrics Album version Acoustic version Music video The short film / music video for "Paparazzi" was shot April 13 and 14, 2009 in Bel-Air. The video was initially set to premiere on June 4, 2009 in the United Kingdom and Ireland on Channel 4, however, while touring in Australia, Gaga posted a message on her Twitter account on May 29, 2009 saying "Stop leaking my motherfucking videos", which referred to the video being released without the singer's consent. The video premiered on Perez Hilton's website on May 29 at 9PM EST. The explicit version was released at midnight on Channel 4 on June 4, 2009. The music video was directed by Swedish director, Jonas Åkerlund. His wife Bea Åkerlund was hired as Gaga's stylist for the video. Gaga told MTV that she had finished shooting ".. my video for 'Paparazzi,' which I really am very pleased with the way that turned out. It's like a short film." In an interview with The Canadian Press on May 26, 2009, Gaga cited her video as "the most amazing creative work that she's put together so far." She went on to describe the idea behind the video and the message it gives. :"It has a real, genuine, powerful message about fame-whoring and death and the demise of the celebrity, and what that does to young people. The video explores ideas about sort of hyperbolic situations that people will go to in order to be famous. Most specifically, pornography and murder. These are some of the major themes in the video." In 2010, Lady Gaga released the sequel with the music video for "Telephone", featuring Beyoncé. The story starts off where the music video for "Paparazzi" ended, with Gaga going to jail. Cast *Lady Gaga — Herself *The boyfriend — Alexander Skarsgård *Policeman 1— Kerry Rhodes *Policeman 2— Michael Paul *Policeman 3— Eric SchackelFord *Model 1— Zdenka Sutton *Model 2— Katrina Hunter *German super model— Margarita Ruhl *Forensic 1 — George Finn *Forensic 2 — Marc Livingood *Triplets — Snakes of Eden Script The music video's original script, written by both Jonas Åkerlund and Gaga herself, features Lady Gaga and her on-screen boyfriend Alexander Skarsgård speaking to each other in Swedish. Outfit fitting (March, 2009) Paparazzi Backstage 002.jpg Paparazzi Backstage 001.jpg Fashion/Synopsis Scene 1 The video opens with a shot of a seaside mansion, where Gaga and her boyfriend are shown lying on a bed. They move to the balcony and start making out, but a hidden photographer takes pictures of them. Gaga realizes that her boyfriend has set the paparazzi to photograph her and tries to stop him. However, when it becomes futile, she smashes a champagne bottle in his face. The enraged boyfriend throws her over the balcony. While falling, a black and white pattern flashes in the background, in reference to the Alfred Hitchcock film "Vertigo". Paparazzi1.jpg 0360.jpg 2016-03-05.png PMV001.jpg :Lady Gaga wears fingerless gloves custom made by Glovedup Gloves, vintage white corster by Thierry Mugler, a bra by Tra La La, a ring by Dior, a heart necklace by Tom Binns, a diamond bracelets by Loree Rodkin and shoes by Giuseppe Zanotti. Scene 2 Gaga lies at the ground in her own blood as paparazzi take pictures of her bloody body and tabloid headlines proclaim that her career is over. Paparazzi2.jpg I79645 700.jpg :Lady Gaga wears a crystal embellished corset by Thierry Mugler. Scene 3 Gaga is shown getting out of a limousine, being carried by male dancers to a wheelchair. Gaga wears a bejeweled neck brace and a side halo on her hair in this sequence. Paparazzi3.jpg Paparazzi3 2.jpg Paparazzi3 3.jpg Paparazzi3 4.jpg PMV003.jpg :Lady Gaga wears a metal neckpiece by Betony Vernon, an animal sheer print by Thierry Mugler (Fall 1995), sunglasses by HI TEK ALEXANDER, a metal corset belt by Dolce & Gabbana, a bra by Tra La La, a crystal sandals by Balmain for Giuseppe Zanotti, a ring by Chanel, hair disk by Haus of Gaga and a wheelchair by Michael Schmidt. Scene 4 Next Gaga is shown on a golden couch where she makes out with a trio of hair metal rockers during the line "Loving you is cherry pie". The trio, known as Snake of Eden, are from reality television dating program Daisy of Love. Lady gaga.jpg Paparazzi 009.jpg Paparazzi 006.jpg Paparazzi 012.jpg :Lady Gaga wears a vintage outfit by Thierry Mugler and shoes by Dolce & Gabbana. Scene 5 An alternate version of the video replaces the images of Gaga and the Snake of Eden with Gaga sitting on a spotted horse with a purple mane. Paparazzi8 2.jpg Paparazzi 007.jpg Paparazzi 008.jpg Paparazzi (Horse Scene 2).jpg Paparazzi (Horse Scene 3).jpg :Lady Gaga wears a sea-shell bathing suit by Jeremy Scott, a bra by Thierry Mugler, shoes by John Galliano and a bullet belt, used as a sash by B. Akerlund. Scene 6 As the dancers gyrate around her, she takes off her black body suit and starts walking down the carpet with the help of a pair of crutches while wearing a metallic bustier and a matching helmet. These scenes are interspersed with scenes of dead models including one whose face is wrapped in plastic, one who is hanging from a noose and one who appears to be oozing gold colored blood from her mouth. Paparazzi Shot.png PMV002.jpg 4-13-09 Meeno 019.jpg :Lady Gaga wears a metallic vintage outfit by Thierry Mugler and crutches by Michael Schmidt. Scene 7 Lady Gaga is seen dancing with a troop of background dancers inside the mansion. Paparazzi6 2.jpg PMV004.jpg Paparazzi6.jpg Paparazzi 010.jpg Paparazzi 011.jpg :Lady Gaga wears a bodysuit and half skirt hybrid by Boudicca and shoes by Fendi. :Dancers: outfits made by B. Akerlund, inspired by the Boudicca dress. Scene 8 The video continues through the intermediate bridge with Gaga wearing a dress made up of film strips and a towering feathered Mohawk headdress. Her trademark dogs, two harlequin Great Danes, are also shown during this scene. Paparazzi7.png.jpg 05279 22 122 581lo.jpg PMV005.jpg :Lady Gaga wears a dilm stock dress by Haus of Gaga in collaboration with Jeremy Scott and B. Akerlund. Scene 9 In the next scene, Gaga and her eye-patch wearing boyfriend are reading magazines on a sofa in a quaint tea room. Gaga wears a flamboyant outfit of yellow jumpsuit with circular glasses and circular shoulder pads. She finally takes her revenge on her boyfriend by discreetly poisoning his drink with white powder concealed in her ring. As he falls dead she calls 9-1-1 and declares that she just killed her boyfriend. Investigators are then shown searching the room for evidence. Paparazzi9 2.jpg Paparazzi9.jpg Paparazzi 002.jpg PMV006.jpg Paparazzi 003.jpg :Lady Gaga wears glasses and a bodysuit by Jeremy Scott, a pendant by Personalized Boutique, a ring by Noir Jewelry and shoes by Chanel. :Boyfriend: an eye-patch by Andreas Eberharter. Scene 10 The police come and she gets arrested for the murder. Gaga, wearing a tall, blond, corkscrew wig, walks to the police car as the paparazzi surround her once again. Images flash by, with newspapers proclaiming her innocence and that Gaga is back in the spotlight and has regained her fame. Paparazzi 001.jpg Paparazzi Music video - Scene 10.jpg PMV008.jpg PMV009.jpg PMV010.jpg Paparazzi10.jpg :Lady Gaga wears a bondage bra and corset by The Blonds, a ring by Noir Jewelry, sunglasses by Emilio Pucci and a glam cape gloves custom made by Glovedup Gloves. Scene 11 The video ends with Gaga posing for mug shots like a fashion model while wearing a tulip shaped metallic dress. Paparazzi 004.jpg Paparazzi 005.jpg Paparazzi Music video - Scene 11.jpg PMV011.jpg :Lady Gaga wears a metal bustier dress by Dolce & Gabbana. Behind the scenes Paparazzi Music video - BTS 002.jpg|1 Paparazzi Music video - BTS 001.jpg Paparazzi Music video - BTS 004.jpg Paparazzi Music video - BTS 005.jpg Paparazzi Music video - BTS 003.jpg Paparazzi Music video - BTS 006.jpg|2 Paparazzi Music video - BTS 007.jpg Credits Song Personnel *Piano and synthesizer — Lady Gaga *Additional programming — Calvin “Sci-Fidelty” Gaines *Recorded — Rob Fusari at 150 Studios (Parsippany, New Jersey, ) *Mastered — Robert Orton. Publishing Music video *Director — Jonas Åkerlund *Written — Lady Gaga & Jonas Åkerlund *Music composer — Lady Gaga *Executive producers — Stephanie Bruni, Violaine Etienne, Vince Herbert, Nicole Ehrlich, Troy Carter *VIP — Jimmy Iovine *Live producer — Steven Johnson *First assistant director — Andy Coffing *Director of photography — Eric Broms *Costume designer — B. Åkerlund. *Production designer (Art director) — Jason Hamilton *Makeup artist — Sharon Gault *Hair stylist — Peter Savic *Manicurist — Naja Rickette *Casting — Annie Egian *Special Fx makeup — Ve Neal *Editor — Danny Tull *Telecine (Colorists) — Dave Hussey *Flame artist — Peter Törnestam *Graphic designer — Anna Lindqvist (The Chimney Pot) *Online / visual effects — Peter Törnestam, Martin Nilsson, Markus Lundqvist *Commissioner — Nicole Ehrlich *Rep — Laure Scott *Production company — Serial Pictures in co-production with Factory Films *ISRC — USUV70801179 / USUMV0900020 *UPC — 602517738560 / 602527053028 *UMA — 253891 References *''The Fame booklet'' *BMI | Repertoire Search Category:Songs Category:Singles Category:Music videos Category:The Fame songs Category:The Fame singles Category:Just Dance Promo Tour songs Category:New Kids on the Block: Live songs Category:The Doll Domination Tour songs Category:The Fame Ball Tour songs Category:The Fame Monster songs Category:The Monster Ball Tour songs Category:The Born This Way Ball Tour songs Category:ArtRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball songs Category:Joanne World Tour songs